Drive Shaft was the rock band that Charlie Pace and his older brother Liam Pace founded. They named the band for their great-grandfather, Dexter Stratton, whose initials appeared on an heirloon ring passed down to the brothers. The band found international fame after its first (and only) hit song "You All Everybody", which was featured on their self-titled debut album. They released a follow-up album, Oil Change, which was not as successful. Drive Shaft was a quartet; one member of the band has not been named on Lost.

Contents

History

Pre-crash

The band began in the 1990s in the Paces' hometown of Manchester. They first performed at the Night and Day bar on Oldham Street, and they soon moved on to other local clubs. Charlie, regretting the lifestyle, considered quitting, but the band then scored a record contract. Though the album did not initially sell well, their first song made it to the radio, as the band discovered on the way to a Clitheroe gig. "You All Everybody" later became a hit, and the band became a success.("Greatest Hits") ("The Moth")

Drive Shaft album covers, from the $2 bin

The group released a second album Oil Change, and they toured the world. Then rivalry grew between the lead brothers, the members turned to drugs and disputes arose over royalties. Ater a hiatus of a year, Charlie declared that "Drive Shaft might be dead." Soon after Liam had a child, the band reunited, but they found little work. They were reduced to performing in advertisements, such as an embarrassing spot for diapers. ("The Moth") ("Homecoming") ("Fire + Water")

Charlie wrote a new song to inspire a comeback for the band, but Liam left England for a rehab clinic in Sydney. By 2003, their albums found their way to record stores' $2 bargain bins. In 2004, the band received the opportunity for a new 8-week tour, starting in Los Angeles. Charlie flew to Sydney to recruit his brother, but Liam, having settled down with his family, turned him down. ("Fire + Water") ("Everybody Hates Hugo") ("The Moth")

Post-crash

Following Charlie's apparent death in the Oceanic 815 crash, the band returned to fame. They held a large memorial service for Charlie and released a greatest hits collection, which sold well. ("Greatest Hits")

On the Island. Charlie often referenced his career as a musician. Kate found him familiar and was impressed to learn he was a member of Drive Shaft. Locke, a fan, said he preferred their debut album to Oil Change. Naomi eventually came to Island and told Charlie of the band's renewed popularity. Charlie also tried to write new music for the band on the Island, including the song "Monster Eats the Pilot". ("Pilot, Part 1") ("House of the Rising Sun") ("Greatest Hits")("Born to Run")

Parting Words

Tours

Headlined the Drive Across America Tour during the peak of their success from "You All Everybody".

Had toured Finland at least twice.

Were booked to open for Meat Coat for a comeback tour in Los Angeles. Liam's refusal to reconcile with the band, and later, Charlie's status in the outside world as confirmed dead, scrapped the tour.

Drive Shaft got their start at the Night and Day Bar on Oldham St, Manchester, U.K. ("Greatest Hits"). This is a genuine place (though it's actually called the Night and Day Café: official site). Due to its size it is a starting place for many new bands.

Oasis influence

So, I think Charlie thinks that his band is a little bit more important than they actually are. He's under the impression that his first album was kind of like Oasis' first album. Y'know, critically acclaimed, didn't sell big numbers, but y'know, in the industry, people gave it respect. What I think Charlie gets confused with is this idea that being on TRL a couple of times in America and maybe being in the Top 20 and having a little run of things over the summer, he thought they were turning into the new Radiohead or the new Oasis or the new Verve. Whereas they're actually probably more of a one-hit-wonder than he'd like to admit.

”

The band in the Lost storyline appears to have many similarities secondary to this influence:

Charlie is seen in "Greatest Hits" saying that he was going to quit the band and as a result their tour would be cancelled which is representative of Noel Gallagher's famous "walk out" on Oasis touring in America, where he came back to the UK with the Union Jack Guitar raised high at the airport. This furthers the Noel Gallagher connection.

Liam and Noel Gallagher famously argued on the single release, Wibbling Rivalry, regarding what the band is actually about, with Noel saying that it is about the music, whilst Liam saying that it is about the groupies, drugs, and run-ins with the law. Charlie & Liam Pace argued about the same subjects at the time when the band was deteriorating.

Ocean Colour Scene

In addition to Oasis, Monaghan also mentions the band Ocean Colour Scene is a possible influence upon Jude's composition of the song "You All Everybody", and also mentions Prince and Beck as an inspiration for his singing voice in "Pilot, Part 1" on the Season 1 DVD featurette, Backstage with Drive Shaft:

“

Dominic Monaghan: I based the voice in the Pilot on when Prince puts on his female voice, for when he sings like, "If I Was Your Girlfriend" on "Sign 'O' the Times". He kind of affects this female voice, and Beck does it as well. So, I just thought, well, I have'a laugh, because I don't know what this song is going to be, so I might as well do the harmonies, which is why it became this, [Sings high-pitched] "You All Everybody", which actually isn't what it actually became in Episode 5 The Moth. But we just took the exact lyrics from that talk show and turned it into a song. We gave it over to this songwriter called Jude.

Bryan Burk: Jude is this amazing local L.A. singer-songwriter. Um, who I'd first heard of him because he had a song on the City of Angels soundtrack.

Dominic Monaghan: Him and his band just y'know, brought together this kind of, 'Oasis-esque', 'Ocean-Colour-Scene-y'[1], y'know, not great, but kind of not bad tune.

”

Trivia

Charlie was penning a new song about brothers for their next album, ("Fire + Water"), but never got to finish it after Liam left for rehab in Australia. The lyrics were: "Funny now, you finally see me standing here / Funny now, I'm crying in the rain / All alone, I try to be invincible / Together now we can be saved."

Charlie said he played tribal flutes in a recording session. ("Tabula Rasa")

"You All Everybody" could be heard in the background of an episode of Alias, also produced by Bad Robot, and created by J.J. Abrams.

A real life band named Driveshaft existed in Cork, Ireland during the 1980s.

In issue #90 of Ultimate X-Men, on the last page a character can be seen wearing a shirt saying "Drive Shaft". Furthermore, an ad for Oceanic Airlines appears in the background as well as a partially-obscured poster advertising Lost.